Deluge myth facts for kids

"The Deluge", frontispiece to Gustave Doré's illustrated edition of the Bible. Based on the story of Noah's Ark, this shows humans and a tiger doomed by the flood futilely attempting to save their children and cubs.

A Deluge myth or Flood myth is a mythical story about a flood. Usually this flood is sent by a deity to destroy a civilisation as a punishment. The theme can be found in many cultures. Well-known examples that are believed to be myths include the story of Noah's Ark in the Bible, the Hindu Puranic story of Manu, Deucalion in Greek mythology or Utnapishtim in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Images for kids

Earth's sea level rose dramatically in the millennia after the Last Glacial Maximum
"The Deluge", by John Martin, 1834. Oil on canvas. Yale University
18th century engraving of the great flood
Matsya-avatara of Lord Vishnu pulls Manu's boat after having defeated the demon
The Deluge, by Francis Danby, 1840. Oil on canvas. Tate Gallery
Flood Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh currently housed in the British Museum in London
George Smith, who discovered and translated the Babylonian Flood Story